


here i go, mumbling

by snoopypez



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 14:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snoopypez/pseuds/snoopypez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray wasn't sure how they ended up standing outside Crabs 'n' Things on a warm Tuesday night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	here i go, mumbling

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on livejournal in 2009  
> post-Mask.

Ray wasn't sure how they ended up standing outside Crabs 'n' Things on a warm Tuesday night.

Seriously. _Crabs 'n' things_.

When Fraser had suggested Ray bring his date there – a _date_. With a _woman_ who already wasn't Ray's biggest fan – Ray had kind of written it off as the guy's idea of a joke. But maybe that had just been wishful thinking, because now it seemed like Fraser _wanted_ to be there.

At Crabs 'n' Things.

Once inside and at a table, Fraser _already_ folding his napkin into the collar of his shirt, and okay, that was already too much; Ray couldn't take it anymore.

"Fraser."

"Yes, Ray?"

"Why are we here?"

Fraser looked slightly confused. "Well, you were driving and I asked you if you noticed anything unusual about the way the light fixture on the corner of Wacker Drive was leaning into the street, which I found dangerous, but you interrupted me and said you were hungry, and this _is_ an eating establishment, so I can only assume you--"

"Fraser!" Ray cut in, exasperated. "Why are we _here_?"

He gestured around the room. The place was a dive; not much to look at and no décor to speak of, but it was the kind of place where the food's reputation was good enough to draw a constant crowd, because the place was packed. Ray assumed that was it, anyway; otherwise all these people just had a thing for food poisoning. He usually liked places like that--the good food kind, not the poisoning kind--but he was in a _mood_ here, okay.

"I thought it sounded--intriguing."

"Yeah? Which part got you so intrigued? The crabs or the _things_?"

Fraser frowned at Ray, which was basically the guy's version of an annoyed scowl, so Ray sighed and opened his menu.

"Oh my God, look at these prices! The oysters better come with the pearls still in 'em!"

"That's doubtful, Ray. You see, pearl oysters are not usually meant for--"

"Don't care."

"Understood."

There was a moment of blissful silence as they looked over their menus, and Ray was once again relieved that he hadn't lost his mind and actually brought a date there.

"You know, Ray, I could help out with the bill," Fraser began, clearing his throat a few times like he was distracted. Probably calculating the cost of every item available. For fun.

"Yeah? You got American money?" Ray asked, sincerely curious.

"Oh. Well, no."

Ray shook his head, sighed. He wasn't able to keep from smiling just a little, though, behind his menu.

There was an uproar from a table nearby, full of college-age kids who looked like they were having the time of their lives. They were drinking--of course--and saying something about vulcans and outer space. Ray glowered at them, not that they noticed.

Dinner itself went as smoothly as anything involving Fraser and do-it-yourself meals could be. Ray lost patience with the crab about two minutes in and ended up practically _covered_ in butter, meat and shell. Fraser, spotless as always, offered to help, and Ray was past the point of pride, so he gave in.

("So you see, Ray, the most efficient way to open the claw is to use--"

"Fraser, this is about ten steps too many for a peaceful meal.")

After--which, okay, the food _was_ good, just time-consuming--they were leaving the place and Ray had just found _another_ stray bit of claw clinging to his shirt.

"Boy, am I glad I didn't bring a date here."

"You know, Ray," Fraser started, obviously gearing up for a lecture. Ray prepared to tune it out, until he heard the rest of the sentence-- "The casual observer might be inclined to point out that you _did_."

Ray wasn't exactly sure what the best response was to that. He figured _what the hell are you talking about, you weirdo?!_ was a little extreme.

"You--huh?"

Fraser was very obviously _not looking_ at Ray. "You and I go to a number of restaurants, Ray, just the two of us, and you always pay the entire bill, for which I'm very grateful, by the way, and--well. Why don't we just forget about it."

He moved towards the car door and Ray sprang forward, blocking his way.

"Whoa whoa _whoa_ , just--what're you saying here, that we're--that you and me are _dating_?"

Now Fraser had that Mountie-in-headlights look and followed it with a nervous laugh.

"No, no, of course not, don't be ridiculous." His voice had that tone to it, the one that gave away that he was actually freaking out in his own subtle way. He always kind of talked like royalty or something but when he was like this, it got twenty times worse, sort of--blustery and stuffy. _Er_.

"I am simply stating that to the _outsider_ , one might suppose—or not suppose, but _wonder_ if perhaps..." Thumb met eyebrow and rubbed.

"If _perhaps_ we're dating," Ray finished. This was just like Fraser, bringing something huge like this up and then trying to backpedal his way out.

"No! ...Well, yes."

"That's crazy!"

"The waitress _did_ bring us one bill," Fraser pointed out, like he was getting a little less awkward about the whole thing. Which made sense, since Ray was starting to hog all the awkward for himself.

"That don't mean anything!"

"And two spoons for one dessert."

"That--" Okay, that one had been a bit stranger.

"Get in the car," Ray snapped, and it sounded a lot like defeat. The second Fraser was in, they were off.

"Ray, are you..."

Ray shot him a glare, which shut him up for the rest of the ride, which meant there was a lot of time for Ray to think. By the time they pulled up in front of Fraser's building, Ray's heart was racing. He wondered if Fraser could hear it.

"Well, thank you," Fraser said stiffly, opening the passenger door.

"Benny."

"Yes, Ray."

"This how you always end a date?"

Fraser finally looked at him, and he could see the exact moment Fraser got that Ray wasn't kidding, wasn't making fun of him.

"No, Ray." There was a pause filled with a weird sort of silence that Ray was just realizing kind of happened _all the time_ with them and maybe he was just really really stupid. Then Fraser spoke again. "Would you like to come up?"

That surprised Ray into a laugh. " _That_ how you always end a date?"

"No, Ray," Fraser said again, and his answering smile was warm and just this side of wicked, which, okay, was a pretty good look on Fraser. "Only the ones with you."

Yeah, Ray _was_ just really stupid, had been the whole time.

He opened the door and said, "Let's go."


End file.
